Author Archives: Doug Neill

One summer morning I awoke and went downstairs for my morning breakfast, coffee, and writing ritual to find a shot glass on the windowsill, filled with water a few flowers. I never did figure out where they came from, but they sure did get that day started right for me.

I drew this sketch of Mount Jefferson while on a day hike that connected me to the Pacific Crest Trail, that 2,650-mile hiking path from Mexico to Canada that lies about 100 miles from the west coast of the United States. There’s something special about seeing mountains up close. It never gets old. ART PRINTS… Continue Reading

It’s half-way through spring, which means the weather has mostly turned and the days have lengthened. The lessening (though by no means full stop) of the rain has warranted us removing the rain cover from the furniture set on our back deck. The we is my parents and I. The place is their house in… Continue Reading

This message from Henry David Thoreau is a call to action, a not-so-subtle request that your next step be taken in the direction of your dreams. You may have many steps to go before you arrive at your destination, but when you know you’re moving in the right direction you just might find your steps… Continue Reading

Routines are great. Breaking them from time to time can be great as well. The challenge is figuring out when to stick to it and when to diverge. If you feel stuck, diverging isn’t a bad option. ART PRINTS HERE FRAMED PRINTS HERE CARDS HERE MUGS HERE

I start my mornings the same way each day – up at 5:45, shower, breakfast and coffee while I read the paper, then by 6:45 I’m at my desk and working. That is where I stay until about noon. During those hours my only goal is to keep moving, to outrun my internal critic and… Continue Reading

My mom requested just one thing from my brothers and I this Christmas: an updated photo for the living room bookshelf. Since my parents moved into their house four years ago, the three framed photos on that shelf were of my brothers and I as seniors in high school. Each two years apart by grade,… Continue Reading